The latest and greatest golf equipment: A matter of wants, not needs


By STUART HALL A


ll a golfer really needs to play the game is a ball and a few clubs. The wants, though, are part of a much


broader discussion. This year’s PGA Merchandise Show in late


January served as the stage for which many of the year’s new products — along with some other popular products — were showcased. Fair to say few golfers will be left wanting this golf season. Here is a short list of products that are worth


the time to check out.


THE NAVIGATOR PUTTER TRAINING AID A long-held mantra in golf instruc- tion is to keep the game simple. Well, the Navigator putting aid, manufactured by Raleigh-based Dirty Larry Golf, can’t be any simpler. The Navigator clips onto


the putter shaft and has an arm that extends paral- lel to the shaft. The arm, which can be adjusted for any lie angle and eye position, holds a nee- dle that is positioned horizontally above the ball and serves as a sightline from behind to


in front of the golf


ball. The aid helps square the putter face to the tar- get and promotes starting the ball on line. In a video shot at a Carolinas PGA Merchandise


Show, Wake Forest golf coach Jerry Haas said of the device: “It’s very simple and it’s very light- weight, which I think is very important for a train- ing device. In two minutes you’re already a better putter.” Cost: $49 Info: DirtyLarryGolf.com


HICKIES SHOE LACING SYSTEM Of all the apparel worn on the


golf course, Hickies may be the most innocuous item. Hickies is a unique shoe


lacing system that elimi- nates the need for tradi- tional laces. The system is made of an elastomer that snaps together and provides a snug fit while adapt-


14 TRIANGLE GOLF TODAY • SPRING 2017


ing to the foot’s movement for stability. The system can be configured any number of


ways for degrees of tightness and support. The company got a boost in exposure when


Danny Willet wore the product en route to winning last year’s Masters. Cost: $18 Info: Hickies.com


GOLFBOARD


If for no other reason than GolfBoard’s cool factor, the skateboard-like vehicle ranks near the top of this year’s want list. GolfBoard debuted at the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show and was voted the Best New Product for Golf, which is understandable given its uniqueness and functionality. The board is sturdy with four


4-inch wide tires, yet long and wide enough so that the rider can stand either sideways or facing forward. A carry or cart bag straps to a front stability bar that serves as a steering device and hous- es a variable speed throttle and switches for forward or reverse movement and high and low speed. It also has holders for sand seed and water bottles, and ample room to mount additional accessories. To steer, the rider just shifts weight left or right. The GolfBoard brings an element of fun to the


course. The vehicle appeals to those who are skate, snow and surfboarders, but is also easily manage- able enough to anyone after a bit of practice. At present, only two courses in North Carolina


— Magnolia Greens Golf Course in Leland and Eagle Creek Golf Club and Grill in Moyock — make the GolfBoard available as an amenity. Six South Carolina courses, including TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet and True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island, offer the GolfBoard experience. GolfBoard makes a personal use SportBoard that is customizable with fender colors, graphics, wheels, decks and a performance package that provides speeds between 5 and 12.5 mph. The recently introduced ResortBoard was made as an off-road trail and reliable personal transportation vehicle. Cost: GolfBoard, $6,500; ResortBoard, $7,950. Info: GolfBoard.com


GOLF PRIDE MCC/MCC PLUS4 GRIPS Golf grips can sometimes be like that favorite


sweatshirt. Only until sweatshirt becomes thread-


bare do we think about getting a new one. Golf Pride, a division of the Southern Pines-


based Eaton Corp., now makes replacing those tattered grips more desirable. The brand’s MCC Align and MCC Plus4 Align grips now feature Align Technology, which is a raised ridge that runs along the grip’s back. The idea of a ridged posterior came through professional and consumer testing, said Jonathan Neal, global marketing manager for Golf Pride Grips. “A repeatable grip is critical for many of the world’s best players in the world, as 1 out of every 3 PGA Tour players currently use a grip with a reminder rib.” Neal added that the MCC Align and MCC


Plus4 Align grips, which will be available this spring, have a more pronounced rib to facilitate consistency.


Cost: Standard size, $10.99 per grip; midsize, $11.49 per grip.


Info: GolfPride.com


FROGGER GOLF LATCH-IT ECOSYSTEM


The company has developed a line of products


using its new Catch-Latch magnetic technology. With a fastening mount attached to a cart or bag, golfers can quickly access and manage a variety of devices — brushes, smartphones, and range finders. Cost: BrushPro Latch-It, $23; Range Finder


Latch-It, $18; Phone Latch-It, $23; Bag Latch-It, $13. Info: FroggerGolf.com


VERTICAL GROOVE GOLF DRIVER


The new Vertical Groove driver is from the why-didn’t-they-think-of-this-before cat- egory because the clubface features, well, vertical grooves. In 2002, Merit Golf actually


created a similar vertical groove driver that was either met with utter skepticism or did not pro- duce the intended results — or a little bit of both given that the club never gained a following. So the real question is whether the Vertical Groove driver, which con- forms to USGA guidelines,


works or is a well-publicized gimmick grab.


The company claims that Golf Laboratories’ independent testing reported that length increased


Continued on page 15 www.trianglegolf.com


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